The mood of Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll has changed from anger to excitement whenever he drives past the office and studios of Millicent community radio station 5THE FM.


According to Mayor Noll it had been heart-wrenching back in 2022 when the station had few members and volunteers and a significant debt.


Mayor Noll has paid tribute to new management committee chairman David Walshaw and his board, volunteers and sponsors for reviving the station


“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Mayor Noll said.


“My wife Shari is one of those volunteers as she updates the website each day.”


He was speaking at the recent annual general meeting of 5THE FM which attracted an attendance of 33.


Mr Walshaw also thanked those who had worked to revive 5THE FM and singled out his fellow board members for their unwavering support.


He detailed some recent awards from the South Australian Community Broadcasters Association and outlined plans for the coming 12 months of new equipment and outside broadcasts.


Another innovation is to create regular local news bulletins using The SE Voice online newspaper.


The community radio station now has the largest membership of any Millicent non-sporting group with 230 paid-up members.


The meeting approved a revised constitution and returned the all-male board of management to office unopposed. Treasurer Michael Schultz presented an upbeat report and it is accessible to the public via the station’s website.


It has cleared all outstanding debts and entered the 2024/25 financial year with a cash surplus of $13,000.


Among the major contributors to this bottom line were grants ($13,000), sponsorship ($20,000) and fundraising ($14,000).